March 13 ,2007

Our website and emails are getting noticed by many in the media in addition to the regular subscribers. Routinely, we field inquires  on matters they deem of import to our community. We do our utmost to deliver credible information or guide them to others who may be better qualified on the specific issue being investigated.   An editor for the Star Ledger came across our commentary on the upcoming Arab League Summit set for late this month in Riyadh and he invited us to submit a shorter version of the commentary. We could not refuse the invite especially since the Ledger (unlike the Bergen Record or the Herald News) rarely opines on  or covers our community. As promised, they published our view in Monday's edition.
You can view both the original commentary and the shortened version on our website.
At a recent community gathering, I joined a fellow Arab American lady and we talked about the imperatives of sending letters to the newspapers. Editors quantify the timeliness or value of a news story based in large measure on readers' interests and subsequent reactions. Even if our letters are not always  published, they still are counted to counter the systematic and frequent letters they receive from the other side. So please send in your two cents and if they don't publish your letter, know for certain that the paper's editors have taken notice. An that's a worthwhile goal.